Amazon Studios/Lionsgate’s The Big Sick went into the weekend with momentum and cashed in. The 2017 Sundance Fest title grabbed the year’s highest opening weekend per-theater-average from a five-theater gross of $435K. But there was more box office wealth among the Specialties, especially for Sofia Coppola’s Cannes debut The Beguiled with Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning. The feature had a PTA of over $60K, the director’s highest for an opening. The Film Collaborative’s All The Rage grossed $9K from an exclusive engagement, while Abramorama’s Food Evolution grossed $3,311 in a single location. Cohen Media Group’s My Journey Through French Cinemalanded at $11,861 from three runs in its opening frame. Focus Features expanded The Book of Henry in week 2, giving it a cume of just over $3M. Roadside Attractions/FilmNation’s Beatriz at Dinner also came in at $3M in its third weekend, and Sony Pictures Classics’ Paris Can Wait sailed passed $4M in its seventh weekend.

Sundance Film Festival debut The Big Sick starring Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan has easily topped out as the title with the year’s best per theater average in its opening weekend. Directed by Michael Showalter and released by Amazon Studios/Lionsgate, the feature grossed a sizzling $435K in five New York and Los Angeles locations, giving it an $87K PTA.

“Kumail and Emily’s true story provided audiences of all ages a much-needed alternative to the summer blockbusters,” commented Bob Berney, Head of Marketing & Distribution at Amazon Studios Sunday. “Michael Showalter’s film delivers the laughs and heartfelt moments that will propel it through the summer.”

Until now, Disney’s Beauty And the Beast held the mantra for year’s best opening PTA at $41,508 after opening in well over four thousand locations in March. On the Specialty side, Oscilloscope’s popular feline doc Kedi opened in one theater back in February, grossing over $40K its opening weekend.

2017 has been pretty tepid so far with titles ringing up big averages out of the gate. In 2016, Lionsgate had the best first weekend PTA with La La Land, grossing $855K in its bow in December in five theaters, giving it a $171K per theater average. A24’s Moonlight opened in October with four runs, taking in $402K in its first weekend, averaging $100,519. The Big Sick will head to more theaters and cities over the coming weeks.

Focus Features

While The Big Sick wears the crown for the weekend’s best PTA, Focus Features’ The Beguiled racked up impressive numbers, giving it the second-best per theater average of any limited release this year. The Cannes ’17 premiere directed by Sofia Coppola grossed $240,545 in four New York and L.A. locations Friday to Sunday, averaging $60,136. The opening average is the highest-ever for Coppola, who took Best Director for The Beguiled last month in Cannes.

A24 released her previous feature, The Bling Ring, in June 2013, grossing over $214K its first weekend in five theaters, averaging $42,879. It went on to cume over $5.84M. Coppola’s highest-grossing film is still her 2003 feature Lost In Translation with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johnasson — also a Focus release — which cumed over $44.5M.

“We’re thrilled by this opening, which is particularly satisfying as it represents the highest opening per-screen average for any of Sofia Coppola’s films and is well-positioned for next weekend’s expansion,” noted Lisa Bunnell, president of Distribution at Focus Features Sunday morning. “This is Focus’ third collaboration with Sofia and she’s created an entertaining, atmospheric thriller featuring strong female representation in front of and behind the camera.”

Focus will expand The Beguiled to over 500 locations across North America next weekend.

Among other Specialty openers this weekend, The Film Collaborative launched documentary All The Rage with one exclusive engagement at New York’s Cinema Village Friday. Directed by David Beilinson, Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley, the feature, which focuses on one man’s quest to combat the epidemic of chronic pain, grossed $9K. The film’s subject Dr. John Sarno died the day before All The Rage opened. The distributor said it plans to expand the title in July and August to additional markets including L.A., San Francisco, Durham and elsewhere.

Neon

Neon’s sci-fi Bad Batchby Ana Lily Amirpour had the widest opener among the Specialties this weekend. The title grossed just over $91K, averaging $3,036. Other roll-outs include Abramorama’s Food Evolution, which grossed $3,311 in a single location and Cohen Media Group’s My Journey Through French Cinema, taking in $11,861 in three opening theaters, averaging $3,954.

Focus Features added 67 runs for The Book of Henry’s second outing. In 646 theaters, the feature directed by Colin Trevorrow and starring Naomi Watts Jaeden Lieberher, Jacob Tremblay and Sarah Silverman took in nearly $937K over the three-day period, averaging $1,450 (-40%). In its initial weekend run, the film grossed over $1.4M in 579 locations, averaging $2,431. It has now cumed $3,094,350.

Sony Pictures Classics added 8 locations for Maudie in its second weekend. Maudie grossed $80,033 in 12 theaters, averaging $6,669 (-46%). In its opener, the title took in $49,842, averaging $12,461. Its cume is now $148,393.

Abramorama added one location for doc Hare Krishna: The Mantra, The Movement and The Swami Who Started It All for its second frame. The feature grossed $8,334, averaging $4,167. The prior weekend, the doc grossed $21,473 from an exclusive run. Hare Krishna has cumed $37,386.

Oscilloscope

Oscilloscope kept Lost In Paris in one location in its second weekend. The feature grossed $4K, giving it a cume of $10,552. It opened with a $4,500 gross the weekend prior.

Gravitas Ventures’ Score: A Film Music Documentary took in $13K in two locations in its second frame, averaging $6,500, which is actually $1,200 higher than in its debut. Gravitas said the feature “sold out Friday night at the Arclight Sherman Oaks” also noting it’s a “a very rare place to premiere a documentary in L.A.” At the location, it was only outpaced by Wonder Woman, Cars 3 and Transformers.

For its third weekend, Roadside Attractions/FilmNation added 414 runs for Beatriz At Dinner, bringing it weekend total to 491 theaters. Beatriz, starring Salma Hayek and directed by Miguel Arteta, grossed over $1.81M, averaging $3,702. In its second frame last week, it grossed $715K, averaging $9,286. The film’s total is now just over $3M.

Searchlight shed 368 runs for My Cousin Rachel’s third weekend. The feature grossed $200K Friday to Sunday, averaging $1,227, which is actually higher vs last weekend. Rachel played 531 theaters last weekend, grossing $535K ($1,008 average). It has now cumed over $2.4M.

The Orchard

The Orchard added 54 locations for The Hero starring Sam Elliott in its third weekend. The Hero grossed $324,663 in 81 locations, averaging $4,008. In its second frame, it took in $135,646 ($5,024 average). “Word of mouth continues to grow, delivering only a 20% drop in [per theater average] and only 15% drop in same theater performance,” commented The Orchard Sunday. “Landing in ‘top of complex’ in over 80% of its engagements, The Hero is positioned well for its major expansion this upcoming holiday weekend.”